NASA Pays Sky-High $66 a Person for Seminar Snacks, AP

"The nation's space agency paid the out-of-this-world price of $66 a person a day for bagels, cookies and juice at a conference, a new report found. The subject of the NASA conference? It was a training session for its procurement officials -- the people who do the buying with taxpayer funds. During the three-day conference, the 317 attendees snacked on "light refreshments" of soda, coffee, fruit, bagels and cookies at a cost of $62,611, according to a NASA Inspector General report. That's $66 a day per person. And that wasn't the only problem. The NASA financial watchdog criticized the financially strapped space agency's spending on conferences in general. The inspector general said NASA didn't price shop to get cheaper locations for conferences and that NASA's spending on food and drinks was "excessive."

Keith's note: Of course, the procurement folks on travel to this meeting also put meals on their travel expenses too, right? Hmm, seeing their travel vouchers for this meeting would be a fascinating FOIA exercise ... "do as I say - not as I do", eh?

Final Memorandum on the Analysis of Fiscal Year 2009 NASA-Sponsored Conferences, NASA OIG